There is such beauty but also mystery when looking at a windmill. They can be a classic beauty behind some and with others there is beauty in simplicity with their modern designs.

Windmills, as many people know use the wind and converts it into usable energy. Some of the first windmills were used to pump water and grind grain into flour throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East thousands of years ago. The original design was with a vertical axis, but due to inefficiencies it was modernized to be more productive using a horizontal axis design. With the new design it had new uses including draining marshes and farming irrigation. If you are a person that pays attention to the details in life you may spot an old windmill on your next drive through the countryside.

The modern windmills are much larger than those of the past and they are used to generate electricity. Small wind systems can be used for homeowners, but you must live in an area that is windy. They do not take up much space and they are great at combating the climbing energy costs. The best part about wind energy is that it is a clean energy form; it produces non-polluting electricity.

The windmills near us sit on top of the Aquifer Ogallala, which accounts for 30% of the ground water used for irrigation within the United States. It is also a large contributor to the drinking water of the area.

Wind farms are also growing in popularity. In Europe and Asia they are slowly making the transition to wind energy over nuclear energy. They are especially popular in near elevated ridges on the coast. The US is beginning to follow the lead of the Europeans; in fact in Texas there is an annual wind festival.